Journey to the West Complete Comic Series (12 Books Boxed Set) (12-Piece Fine Art Collectible Edition)

Author: Wu Cheng'en
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The story of The Journey to the West is very familiar to people. Among its most exciting chapters, such as Sun Wukong's chaos in Heaven, Zhu Bajie's wedding at the High Elder's Village, the battle against the White Bone Demon, and borrowing the Plantain Fan, are household names, known to all, even to the old and young. For hundreds of years, it has attracted generation after generation with its strong artistic charm, making it one of the most beloved classical novels in Chinese history. The Journey to the West primarily depicts the story of Sun Wukong protecting Tang Monk on his journey westward to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures, enduring ninety-nine and eighty-one hardships. The journey of Tang Monk to retrieve the scriptures was a real historical event. Approximately 1,300 years ago, in the first year of the Zhenguan era (627), the young monk Xuanzang, only 25 years old, left the capital Chang'an and traveled alone to India (Tianzhu) to study. After leaving Chang'an, he passed through Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, overcoming numerous difficulties, and finally reached India. There, he studied for over two years and was praised as the main speaker at a large Buddhist scholastic debate. In the 19th year of the Zhenguan era (645), Xuanzang returned to Chang'an, bringing back 657 Buddhist scriptures. This journey to the west took nineteen years and covered tens of thousands of miles, a legendary long march that caused a sensation at the time. Later, Xuanzang dictated his travels westward, which were compiled by his disciple Bianji into the Record of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty in twelve volumes. However, this book mainly described the history, geography, and transportation of the countries he passed through and contained little story. Later, his disciples Huili and Yancong wrote the Biography of the Venerable Monk Xuanzang of the Great Tang's Daci'en Temple, which added many mythical elements to Xuanzang's experiences. From then on, the story of Tang Monk retrieving the scriptures began to spread widely among the people. In the Southern Song Dynasty, there was The Poetic Talk of Tang Monk Retrieving the Scriptures, and in the Jin Dynasty, there were Tang Monk and The Peach Blossom Banquet in the court dramas. In the Yuan Dynasty, there were Wu Changling's Tang Monk's Journey to the West and an anonymous The God Erlang Locks Sun Wukong, all of which laid the foundation for the creation of The Journey to the West. Wu Cheng'en, styled Ruzhong and known as Shaoyang Mountain Man, was from Shanyang in Huai'an Prefecture (now Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province). He was born around the years between the 13th year of the Hongzhi era and the early Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1500–1510) and died around the 10th year of the Wanli era (1582). Both his great-grandfather and grandfather were scholars who served as instructors and teachers in county schools. However, by the time of his father Wu Rui, due to poverty, he was adopted into the Xu family and took over their business, becoming a small merchant. Despite this, the Wu family did not lose its tradition of studying. It is said that Wu Rui, though a merchant, was upright and loved reading and discussing current affairs, which naturally had a great influence on Wu Cheng'en. Wu Cheng'en was very intelligent from a young age and entered school early, achieving success in his youth and gaining fame in his hometown. The 16th volume of the Tianqi Huai'an Prefecture Gazetteer says that Wu Cheng'en "was quick-witted and intelligent, knowledgeable in all books, and could compose poetry and prose at the drop of a hat." However, Wu Cheng'en's life was not smooth after adulthood. He faced repeated setbacks in the imperial examinations and only became a supplementary in his forties. In his fifties, he served as the county magistrate of Changxing County in Zhejiang and later as a Jishi in the Jing Wang Palace, a position similar to that of a county magistrate but with little actual responsibility. Wu Cheng'en began writing The Journey to the West in his middle age, or it is believed to have been written in his later years, though the exact time remains uncertain. In addition to The Journey to the West, he also wrote the long poem The Song of Erlang Searching for Mountains and The. The existing Collected Works of Master Shaoyang in four volumes, including one volume of poetry and three volumes of prose, were compiled by Qiu Du after Wu Cheng'en's death. The Journey to the West is a full 100 chapters, and from a large structural perspective, it can be divided into three parts. From the beginning to the eighth chapter is the first part, which mainly describes Sun Wukong's birth, his apprenticeship, and his chaos in Heaven. This is the most exciting part of the book, lively and full of action, as Sun Wukong travels, fully showcasing his rebellious spirit. The eighth chapter to the twelfth chapter is the second part, which mainly describes Tang Monk's origins and the reasons for his journey to retrieve the scriptures. The thirteenth chapter to the last chapter is the third part, which mainly tells the story of Tang Monk's journey westward, where he later recruits Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing as his disciples, faces ninety-nine and eighty-one hardships, and finally retrieves the true scriptures, achieving enlightenment. The Journey to the West presents to people a magnificent and colorful world of gods and demons, leaving everyone in awe of the author's rich and bold artistic imagination. However, every piece of literary work reflects a certain aspect of social life, and as an outstanding representative of fantasy novels, The Journey to the West is no exception. As Lu Xun pointed out in A Brief History of Chinese Fiction, The Journey to the West "satirizes and teases the social customs of the time, adding exaggerated descriptions." He also said, "The author has a talent for humor, so even when describing the mysterious and elusive, he often mixes in jokes, making the gods and demons have human emotions and the spirits understand worldly affairs." Indeed, through the imaginary world of gods and demons in The Journey to the West, we can see the reflection of real society everywhere. For example, in the creation of Sun Wukong's character, the author hased his ideals. Sun Wukong's indomitable spirit, his fearless attitude of swinging the golden headband and sweeping away all demons and monsters, reflects the people's wishes and demands. He represents a force of justice, showing the people's belief in overcoming all difficulties. He embodies a righteous power, demonstrating the people's unwavering confidence in victory. For instance, the demons and monsters encountered on the journey to retrieve the scriptures are either transformations of natural disasters or symbols of evil forces. Their greed, cruelty, cunning, and treachery are also the characteristics of the dark forces in feudal society. Moreover, the Heavenly Palace ruled by the Jade Emperor and the Western Paradise governed by the Buddha are heavily colored with the hues of human society. The author's attitude toward the highest rulers of feudal society is also quite intriguing. In The Journey to the West, it is hard to find a competent emperor; as for the ignorant and incompetent Jade Emperor, the king of the Xu Chi Kingdom who favors demons, and the king of the Biqiu Kingdom who wants to use children's hearts and livers as medicine, they are either tyrants or autocrats. The portrayal of these characters, even if done casually, is full of strong realistic significance. The Journey to the West not only has profound ideological content but also achieves great artistic success. With its rich and unique artistic imagination, vivid and winding plot, lifelike character portrayals, and humorous and witty language, it constructs a distinctive artistic palace of The Journey to the West. However, I believe the greatest artistic achievement of The Journey to the West is the successful creation of the immortal artistic figures of Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. Sun Wukong is the protagonist of The Journey to the West and an extraordinary hero. He has boundless abilities, fears neither heaven nor earth, and possesses an indomitable rebellious spirit. He has the demeanor of a great hero but also the flaw of enjoying flattery. He is clever, brave, and loves to cause trouble. His greatest characteristic is his courage to fight. He dares to fight the supreme and almighty Jade Emperor, earning the name "Great Sage Equal to Heaven." He dares to fight the demons and monsters, never missing a demon with his fiery eyes and golden pupils, and never showing mercy to demons under the Golden Headband. He dares to fight all difficulties, never retreating or bowing his head. This is Sun Wukong, a dazzling mythological hero. As for Zhu Bajie, his abilities are far inferior to Sun Wukong, let alone being glorious or towering. However, this character is also portrayed very well. Zhu Bajie is a comedic figure, simple and honest, strong, and also daring to fight the demons and monsters, serving as Sun Wukong's able assistant. However, he is full of flaws, such as his love for food, petty greed, lust, fear of difficulties, and often wanting to give up. He always thinks of the wife in the High Elder's Village. Sometimes he lies, but his clumsy mouth and slow wit make it hard for him to convince anyone. He also occasionally provokes Tang Monk to recite the Golden Headband, making Sun Wukong suffer. He even hides some private money, stuffing it in his ear. His flaws are many, reflecting the vices of a petty owner. The author's criticism of Zhu Bajie's flaws is severe but well-intentioned. He is not a completely negated character, so people do not dislike Zhu Bajie but instead find him quite real and lovable. Tang Monk's character is also well-written, but compared to Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, he is somewhat inferior. Sha Wujing is even more lacking in distinct personality traits, which cannot be said to be a shortcoming of The Journey to the West. Despite this, the artistic achievements of The Journey to the West are still astonishing. Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, with their distinct personalities, have established an immortal artistic monument in the history of Chinese literature.